Self-Motion Manifolds Of Redundant Manipulators

New perspective on redundancy yields alternative control strategies. Self-motion manifolds introduced to characterization of self-motions of robotic manipulator having redundant degrees of freedom. Kinematics of robot reformulated via manifold mapping stressing global, rather than local, kinematic analysis. Approach useful in study of redundant manipulator kinematics. In addition, problem of resolution of redundancy posed equivalently as problem of control of self-motions, and self-motion manifolds useful in investigating, interpreting, and formulating both local and global techniques for resolution of redundancy.